Tiger Woods has revealed he suffered a back spasm towards the end of his first round at the Genesis Invitational on Thursday.
The 15-time major winner carded a +1 round of 72 in his first competitive appearance since December, hitting five birdies and six bogeys.
Woods had played just two tournaments since withdrawing from the Masters due to an ankle injury in April 2023.
The 48-year-old returned at the Hero World Challenge in December, finishing 18th, before ending tied-fifth at the PNC Championship alongside son Charlie.
Tiger Woods says he suffered with a back spasm on the first day of the Genesis Invitational
Sky Sports/Getty
Woods has had a string of injury and fitness problems across the last decade and has already confirmed he plans to play a reduced schedule in 2024.
He revealed last week that he will be back at the Genesis Invitational in Los Angeles, a tournament he hosts.
It was a mixed first round for Woods, who shanked a shot on the 18th on his approach to the green and dropped his club.
But he has since revealed that he was having back issues in the final few holes which was affecting his performance.
Woods told NBC Sports: "My back spasmed on it. It had been spasming up in the last three holes and it just locked up on me.
"Didn't move and didn't rotate and present hosel first."
Woods says he will receive treatment in order to be ready for Friday's second round.
He added: "We've got some treatment ahead of us and some work to do to be ready for tomorrow.
"But that's just part of the deal and I look forward to the challenge."
Woods opened up on the struggles he faced, admitting the greens were faster than he had been used to at the Riviera Country Club.
He said: "My round was good and a little bit indifferent. I struggled with the speed of the greens even though I made a few.
"They were a lot faster than I'd ever seen Riviera before and I didn't feel like I hit a lot of greens today, I missed a lot.
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Tiger Woods shanked a shot on the 18th and dropped his club
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"I was stressing out on the short game. I had maybe about five pars or something stupid... it was making either birdies or bogeys. It was good and a little bit indifferent."
Woods went round with Gary Woodland, just months after the 39-year-old underwent brain surgery to remove a lesion.
He paid tribute to Woodland's resilience, reacting: "What Gary has gone through and what his whole family has gone through is scary.
"The fact he's able to be out here and play and compete with us I just thought it was so important for him to be out here with us this week.
Tiger Woods had a mixed first round at the Genesis Invitational
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"It couldn't have been better of a group. You had JT giving him a lot of grief. I give him a lot of grief. They give me a lot of grief.
"It was great all day. It was great interaction and it was great to have Gary out here playing."
